On Dark Horses

Recently, I had a conversation with a colleague about music. I had gone to see one of my direct reports' bands, and they were really genre-hopping. I told her about the experience and mentioned that they blended such far-flung musical styles as punk, hip-hop, and shoegaze. She said she loved shoegaze, but when I asked her if she was going to the Slowdive show, she confessed that she hadn't heard of them. I was a bit shocked, since I would consider them just below My Bloody Valentine in the pantheon of shoegaze progenitors. I asked her what shoegaze bands she was into and she mentioned Emma Ruth Rundle, whom she described as metal/shoegaze.

The conversation caused me to make a mental note to check out Rundle. I had heard of her playing a metal festival in Asheville (which was postponed after the devastation of Hurricane Helene). What I heard wasn't what I had expected, since it sounded to me more like post-rock than anything. The first album I looked at, EG2: Dowsing Voice had song titles like "Brigid Wakes To Find Her Voice Anew. The Little Flowers and Birds Show Themselves." It was like a game of how to tell me your music is post-rock without telling me your music is post-rock. Next, I came across the On Dark Horses album, which really connected with me. Rundle often seems to do more acoustic psyche-folk these days, but this album was different.

Rundle has a dark aesthetic which, at least on On A Dark Horse, pairs well with the primal post-rock rhythms. There is a bit of desert noir in the mix. "Darkhorse" is a particular favorite, its shifting, moody instrumentation serves as a vehicle for Rundle's powerful and plaintive vocals. When I listened to the album, I was recommended Russian Circles and Mazzy Star. That is as sure a sign as any you are on the right track.

Here, Rundle performs "Darkhorse" and "Control," two standouts from On A Dark Horse with a full band.

Emma Ruth Rundle - Full session | Highway Holidays TV (YouTube)